SOURCES

http://www.apcor.pt/userfles/File/Cork%20Stoppers_EN.pd
http://www.cork.pt/properties!o!cork.ht"l
http://www.ww.or$.uk/fleli%rar&/pd/corkscrewed.pd
http://'00perce(tcork.or$/cork.php/wh&!cork
http://www."asil)a.co"/a*.ht"l
http://www.corkstore.eu/articles/what!is!cork
http://www.wi(epros.or$/wi(e'0'/)i(c&c!tca.ht"
http://www.aro"adictio(ar&.co"/articles/corktai(t_article.ht"l
LA VITIVINICULTURA HACE ESCUELA
Cork oak landscapes extend over an area of almost 2.7 million hectares (ha), in
seven countries: Portugal; pain; !lgeria; "orocco; #unisia; $tal% and &rance.
2,200,000 hectares of cork forest worldwide: 33% in Portugal, and 23% in Spain.
+oda&, the "a-orit& o the $lo%al productio( o (atural cork is %ased i( the .editerra(ea( re$io(,
pri(cipall& $rowi($ i( the su((& south o /ortu$al 012.1% o world2s productio(3, Spai(, Fra(ce a(d
North 4rica.
http://www.ilo)e(aturalcork.co.uk/5ope(!i"a$es PROCESO COMPLETO
http://www.ilo)e(aturalcork.co.uk/5ope(!acts
$nformation a'out tainting '% #C! in various media often places the 'lame on
the cork, and can confuse consumers. People tend to blame taint problems
on the cork, on the basis of misleading or incomplete information.
Is TCA a cork-only related taint?
#raditionall% this mould% taint (as termed corkiness or cork taint, therefore
leading to the assumption that the cork stoppers (ere the responsi'le for its
transmission to the (ine. )o(ever the contamination ma% come from three
sources (and their com'ination): the (ine, the cork stopper, and the external
environment. #he presence of halogenated phenols is (idespread in the natural
environment due to their extensive use in pesticides, her'icides and sanitation
materials. *ine ma% contain #C! or #C! precursors 'efore 'ottling, and the
contamination (ith haloanisoles ma% occur in the cellar environment, e.g. in
(ooden materials, as (ell as during storage and transport. #herefore tainted (ine
is also found in 'ottles (ith non+cork stoppers or in plastic packages.
ource: &acts a'out tainted (ine and cork, Pereira 2,,-,
Centro de .studos &lorestais, $nstituto uperior de !gronomia, /niversidade #0cnica de 1is'oa, Portugal
http://www.ww.or$.uk/fleli%rar&/pd/corkscrewed.pd
#here is ho(ever, one disadvantage of using cork in the (ine industr%.
!ccording to (ine expert Chris Kissack, (the *ine 2octor) cork is sometimes
contaminated '% a mould (hich is present on the tree 'ark at harvest. #he
mould ( 2,3,-+tricloroanisol (#C!) can lead to 4corking5, ! 4corked5 'ottle of
(ine develops a taste, also descri'ed as as a must%, damp card'oard, old
sock aroma. "It renders the wine completely undrinkable. Imagine the trauma
of pouring away your wine, or even worse an old wine that is irreplaceable --
an old Bordeau or Burgundy which you have been cellaring for several
decades to be opened at a special moment.....and it is corked. !errible," said
6issack. &or this reason some (ineries no( use plastic and metal stoppers
instead of cork. Plastic is also cheaper, its looks like cork and even pops like
cork. #heir main disadvantage ho(ever, is that the% are difficult to extract and
once extracted are almost impossi'le get 'ack into the 'ottle. cre( caps
made from aluminium or tin, provide a tight seal and can keep out ox%gen for
long periods. Practical %es, 'ut unattractive and can litter the countr%side.
#ake the risk and go 'ack to 'u%ing (ine (ith cork stoppers. #he pop of a
cork is more than 7ust a pop. $t is environmental and social protection. "lice
"lech is a freelance writer based in #rance.
4rtifcial plastic stoppers or screw caps o( the other ha(d co(su"e ossil uels, a(d use at least f)e
ti"es "ore e(er$& per to( to produce, %eore "illio(s o the" e(d up i( our la(dflls a(d ocea(s.
http://'00perce(tcork.or$/cork.php/wh&!cork